A/n: Hey, peoples! Not as many reviews as I would like, but hey. I'll take what I can get. Just a notice, I'll try to make updates bi-weekly if I can, if not, then once a week.
Language and violence warning, for any younger readers.
Disclaimer: I don't own Jack Shit.
Konohagakure: June 14th, 1037A.S
It was another lovely day in Konoha. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, pranksters were pranking, and all was right with the...
Wait, what...?
If one were to look up, they'd be just in time to see a small orange, black, and yellow blur speed passed, followed by several larger blue ones. The aforementioned small blur is none other than Uzumaki Narumi. A bright ball of energy, decked out in orange shorts, a black tank top, her orange jacket tied around her waist and a choker around her throat. Her bright blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail that she always kept at the side of her head. Her bangs parted to the left. Why is she being chased, you may wonder? Well, Narumi just painted on the Hokage mountain in bright florescent orange.
"Uzumaki, come back here, you brat! When I get my hands on you!" One ninja yelled as Narumi was laughing her head off as she ran.
"You've crossed the line this time, you brat!" Yelled another. Narumi just kept laughing as she started hopping along the rooftops, the ninja following behind.
"Ha! Give it up, you losers! You're just bent because you're too chicken to do what I do! You'll never catch me, you slowpokes! Ha ha ha ha!" She sped up and the others were hard pressed to try and catch her.
"UZUMAKI!"
~Hokage Tower~
The Sandaime Hokage was finally starting to wake up. He was doing paperwork while having his morning smoke, when a panicked chunin bursts into his office, unannounced.
"Sandaime-sama! We have an emergency!"
Sarutobi scowls at him.
"And what is so important that you had to interrupt my morning smoke? Don't say it's Narumi again." The chunin gulped.
"But it is, sir! She climbed onto the great Hokage monument and put graffiti all over the faces!"
Sarutobi sighed in frustration.
'I'm getting too old for this...'
~With Narumi~
Narumi was still being chased. She ducked around a corner and seemed to disappear down the street. The ninja that were chasing her all went down said street, only to chase after nothing. Not being chased any longer, Narumi came away from the fence, with a camo blanket falling to the ground.
"Man, that was too easy!" She said, seemingly to herself.
"Oh really, Narumi?"
Narumi jumped six feet in the air and landed hard on her ass. She looked over her shoulder and standing there leaning against the fence with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at her was none other than her third year academy instructor, Umino Iruka.
Narumi flushed in embarrassment. She'd been caught.
Umino Iruka was a rather tall young man for his age, roughly nineteen, with a healthy tan, and long raven hair tied up in a spiky ponytail. His bangs held back by the Konoha Hitae-ate around his forehead. He wore the standard chunin uniform. Narumi scratched the back of her head.
"Where'd you come from, Iruka-sensei? What're you doing here? "She asked, uselessly. She already knew the answer.
"Actually, Narumi, I believe the question is, what're you doing here? You're supposed to be in class!"
Iruka then proceeds to drag Narumi back to the academy, bound in ropes.
"I'm at the end of my rope here, Narumi. You failed the graduation test the last two times. Tomorrow you've got another chance and you're goofing it up again."
"Hmph!" She turns away, pouting.
"Fine, then! Because you missed it Narumi, everyone will review the Henge no jutsu!" Iruka announces, scowling. Everyone forms a line, and one after the other, all the students perform the technique. Some, better than others. Narumi was called up last.
"Henge!"
Narumi transforms into a beautiful, naked, older version of herself, the only difference being black hair and tanned skin. She winks and blows a kiss. Iruka flies back with a huge nosebleed, failing to notice the almost ethereal locket hanging around her neck as a choker.
"Ha ha ha ha! Gotcha, that's my oiroke no jutsu!" She laughed when she transformed back. A few minutes later, Iruka jumped up off the floor, and stared down at her, a tic mark appearing on his forehead.
"CUT THE STUPID TRICKS! I WON'T WARN YOU AGAIN!" He shouted, annoyed. His voice was altered due to the issues he had stuffed up his nose. Narumi just grinned at him.
~Later at the Hokage Monument~
Narumi grumbled under her breath as she slowly scrubbed at the paint that she had put there. Iruka was sitting in the stone above her, watching to make sure that she cleaned it.
"You aren't going home until all of this paint is gone." He said with a hint of authority. He knew he didn't need it, but still...
Narumi scoffed. "I don't care. I don't have anyone to go home to, anyway. Not like this wouldn't have washed away on it's own next time it rained."
Even as she grouched and griped, Iruka's eyes softened. He knew how it felt to be an orphan, and he didn't wish that life on anyone. He then grinned slightly as an idea hit him.
"Hmm. Narumi?"
"What now, sensei?" She asked grumpily.
"Well... I was thinking maybe we could go out for some ramen after you're all done here. The good stuff, ya know?" He asked, scratching the scar on his nose nervously. A slow smile spread across Narumi's face, her eyes glittering happily.
"I'll be done within the hour!" She started scrubbing at about thirty MPH.
"Hey, now! Don't wear a hole into the mountain!" Iruka shook his head in amusement. 'That Naru.'
(AN: He'll call her Naru in his head.)
~Later at the Ichiraku's~
"Ano, Narumi?" Iruka asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye, while eating his ramen.
"Hmm?" Narumi was slurping her own ramen.
"Why would you do that to the Hokage faces? I mean, you know who the Hokage are don't you? And the amount of trouble you are in with the council, too." He looked aggravated at the thought of the civilian council.
-slurp-"Hmph!"-slurp-"Everybody knows those old farts have their heads up each others butts."-slurp- "The Hokage were the greatest shinobi of their time, right? The best of the best. Undefeated Ninja Heroes. And the fourth Hokage is the one who saved the village from the nine-tails fox. He was the very best!"
"Then why did you-"
"Because I'm going to be greater than any of them. Me, Uzumaki Narumi, the next Hokage! The first female Hokage, even!" She points her chopsticks at him, having finished. "A ninja legend! Then everyone will have to acknowledge, Dattebayo!" Her grin turned sheepish "Ano…by the way, I kinda wanna ask a little favor, sensei."
He finishes the last of his ramen and looks at her, amused.
"You want another bowl?"
"Eto... I wanted to try on your headband. Please, sensei?"
"My headband? Sorry, but no. You can only wear the leaf headband when you finally graduate from the academy and become a ninja. You've gotta pass the test tomorrow."Iruka frowned in confusion as Narumi grumbled. 'So odd, she is.' He thought.
"Fine. How about that second bowl?"Narumi looked at him hopefully. He sighed, knowing his wallet was going to suffer.
"Alright. I suppose I'll get one too, then." He smiled as she cheered. It was easy to make her happy.
"Hey, Teuchi-san! Another round of the same!"He called into the kitchen. After five minutes, the ramen chef came out with two steaming bowls. Narumi's was a chicken ramen with leeks and a hard boiled egg, and Iruka's was miso ramen with pulled pork, mushrooms, and a small bottle of sake. He could afford to indulge a little. It was the last day, tomorrow, after all.
~The next day~
Iruka could already feel the headache forming. Today was going to be a bad day.
"We will now start the final exam. When your name is called proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on the henge, Kawarimi, and the bunshin no jutsu." He said, and saw Narumi pale.
'Ahh! That's my worst technique! Great! I'm never gonna pass!'She plonked her head on the desk.
Everyone else goes, until only Narumi is left. She performed the first two alright, and gulps before attempting the third.
'Alright, get it together Narumi! You can do this!' "bunshin no jutsu!" with a bit of smoke, a single sickly looking clone appeared on the floor, looking washed out and dead. Iruka shakes his head in disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Narumi. You fail." Narumi's head dropped, an unknown feeling alongside the bitter defeat building in her heart. Then, Mizuki steps away from the wall he'd been observing from.
"Iruka, she's off and her moves weren't bad, and she did create a bunshin. This is her third try and you know she really wants to become a ninja." Naruto looks on with hope. "We could cut her a break this once."Mizuki says, almost hopeful, but not quite.
"Mizuki, the other students created at least three effective copies. But Narumi could only create one. Look at it! I can't, pass her knowing that being unable to make a bunshin properly could get her captured or killed. I really am sorry, Narumi, but you fail."Iruka turns away from Narumi. She hurries from the classroom, and books it to the tree outside the window. She climbs to the thickest branch and curls up against the trunk. She watched bitterly as the ones who passed the exam left, chattering eagerly with their parents.
After they're all gone, Mizuki appears before her. She follows him cautiously. They reached their destination atop a tall building. They watched the sunset for a bit before Mizuki finally speaks.
"Iruka isn't against you, you know." He says.
"Then why did he fail only me?" Narumi asks pitifully.
"Because he wants you to be strong from the bottom of his heart. He can't go easy on you if that's going to happen. He's a lot like you, you know? No family, no parents, and few friends, despite his disposition." Mizuki smirks as he says that last bit.
"I just... really wanted to graduate this time." Narumi looks down at the village, not really seeing anything.
Mizuki chuckles."Then I guess I'll have to let you in on a really big secret." He smiles at her in a slightly psychotic way.
"Huh?"Was her response.
~Four hours later~
Iruka lie in bed, mulling over the conversation with the Sandaime.
"Iruka. I know how you feel."
"Hokage-sama?"
"Narumi also grew up without the warmth of a family. You two are more similar than you know."
Iruka's thoughts flashed back to the Kyuubi attack. The feeling of it's evil chakra, his ice, and the stares, fear and isolation afterward.
A loud knock shakes him out of his thoughts.
"Iruka! Wake up! You have to come see the Hokage! It's urgent! Narumi stole the scroll of sealing!"
Iruka shoved his door open, nearly hitting Mizuki in the nose.
"What? Narumi did?" He asked, voice raspy from having just fallen to sleep.
Mizuki tugged on his sleeve.
"Yes, now hurry!"
Iruka threw on his vest and sandals, before rushing out the door, tying his Hitae-ate around his neck, and tying his hair up while running to the Hokage tower.
~With Narumi~
Narumi sat down next to the cabin Mizuki had specified. She had a feeling that something was wrong, but paid no attention to it. She tugged open the scroll, and laid a blank one next to it. She looked through the techniques and copied down a few of them.
'After all, I probably won't see this scroll again anyway.'
[(Narumi's list)
Swift release: Decapitation
Swift Release: Disintegration
Swift release: White lightning storm
Copy of the hummingbird taijutsu style
Swift release: Storm's rage
Lightning release: False darkness
Quick note to self: Study more on sealing, seems interesting.]
Satisfied with her choices, Narumi tucked the smaller scroll into her jacket, and looked at the very first jutsu on the forbidden scroll.
"Let's see. Taiju Kagebunshin no jutsu...Ahh! Not more bunshins! That's my worst technique!"
~Hokage tower~
"Hokage-sama, this is a serious crime!"
"This isn't one of her pranks!"
"That scroll contains secrets that were sealed by our shodaime, secrets known only to our village!"
"If that scroll gets into the wrong hands, it could destroy our entire way of life. We must find Uzumaki!" The older ninja were panicking. Sarutobi looked down in thought for a brief moment before deciding.
"Very well, then. Bring me Uzumaki Narumi alive and unharmed."
The Jonin and chunin nodded their approval. With a wave of his hand, the Hokage dismissed them. Before all of them disappeared, they saluted the Sandaime with a resounding "HAI!"
~With Iruka~
Iruka stopped atop a shop, gasping for breath while thinking over all of Narumi's favorite places. He'd have found her already, but he was exhausted from a bad night and his abilities suffered for it.
'Naru, where are you? '
Thinking of one place she could be at a time like this, he sprinted quicker, hoping to find her first. Not too far from Iruka was Mizuki, a giant shuriken hanging on his back, deadly and thirsty for blood. A single glance would tell anyone with half a braincell that Mizuki was out for a kill, rather than capture as the Hokage had ordered.
'I'll eliminate the brat, make it look like an accident, then the forbidden scroll will be mine for the taking!' He smirked maliciously before continuing on his sprint toward his target.
A while later, Iruka found Narumi by a large cabin trying to catch her breath. The scroll sat tightly bound to her back. Iruka stalked up behind her quietly, pondering which lecture to give her this time.
"Oi! Narumi!" Iruka growled out, glaring at her furiously. Narumi simply giggled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"Caught me already, ne? Not bad, sensei. I only had time to learn one technique." Narumi said with her little grin. Her clothes were covered in dust, and her skin had a slight coat of grime that had her in need of a shower.
'Was she practicing one of those forbidden jutsu? She's been working hard!'He thought.
"Listen, Iruka-sensei! I'm gonna show you this awesome jutsu, then you'll have to let me graduate! That's how it works, right? Anyone who learns a jutsu from this scroll passes!"
Dumbstruck, Iruka could only stare, his jaw near hitting the floor before stuttering out "Who told you that?"
Narumi grinned happily before replying.
"Mizuki-sensei did! He told me where to find the scroll, and this place... and I goofed again, didn't I?" The silly grin slowly falling from her face on seeing his thunderous look.
'Mizuki? That...That Traitor!'
Before he could open his mouth, a barrage of kunai and shuriken flew towards the two. Acting on instinct, Iruka shoved Narumi hard, causing her to skid to one side, while a kunai pierced his left thigh, and pinned him to the cabin wall.
"I see how it is now, you damn traitor!" Iruka gritted out between clenched teeth, glaring at the white haired man.
Mizuki watched the sight owlishly from his position in the tree. Then he grinned maliciously, setting his eyes on Narumi.
"Narumi, be a dear and hand over the scroll." Mizuki's voice was like honey. Chokingly sweet.
From her spot on the ground, Narumi was glaring at him, thinking he had no right to ask anything of her after what he'd just done to Iruka.
"Narumi," Iruka called to her fiercely, yet gently "You can't let him get that scroll! If it falls into the wrong hands, the techniques that are sealed in there could destroy everything we know! He used you!"
At this, Mizuki scoffed, putting his hands on his hips and sneering in a patronizing manner.
"Narumi, Iruka's only afraid of you having the scroll in your possession. Why don't I take it off your hands?" He held his hand out to her.
"Mizuki, stop lying! Narumi, don't let him poison your mind!"
"Ha! Oh, I'll tell you who's really lying!"Mizuki said in a mocking tone "Twelve years ago, there was an incident. Then a decree was made. Everyone knows about it, all except you, that is."
"Decree?"
"No, Mizuki! Don't!"
"What is this decree? Why does everyone else know about it?" Narumi was getting very confused. She climbed to her knees as she waited for Mizuki to answer. Iruka kept yelling at Mizuki to shut up, but the other man ignored him.
"The decree forbids anyone and everyone from revealing that you are the Kyuubi no Kitsune reborn! The great demon that killed Iruka's parents, destroyed the village, and forced the Yondaime Hokage to fight to his last breath to finish it off. You are the Kyuubi! Everyone's been lying to you your whole life! Didn't you think it was strange how people treated you? Like the dirt beneath their boots! Even your favorite sensei hates your guts!"
Tears leaked from Narumi's eyes and she couldn't help the angry cries of 'no' that escaped her. Iruka watched her, saddened as his thoughts returned to the conversation he'd had with the Hokage. He'd said that she pulled pranks to gain attention and to be noticed. Just yesterday, Narumi had done something that had ninja after her from nearly all over the village. She'd graffittied the faces of the Hokage mountain. She was lucky Iruka'd caught her before anyone else had.
"Die, Kyuubi!" Mizuki shouted as he threw the giant shuriken that had been attached to his back towards the frightened Narumi. Iruka pulled out of his thoughts and tore himself free.
"Narumi, GET DOWN!" He yelled to her. She ducked down as Iruka raced to beat the shuriken.
SHLINK!
It seemed that he'd gotten to her in time. She was unharmed as he hovered over her. The shuriken had just missed his spine. He inwardly cringed at having to dumb himself down, but Narumi was worth a bit of reckless behavior. That didn't mean that it didn't hurt like a bitch, though.
Narumi looked up at her sensei through her bangs. She was surprised to see him there on his hands and knees, protecting her. His body jerked as the weapon stabbed him, but he remained. Tears leaked from his eyes and he smiled. He coughed, blood dribbling from his lips, and he closed his eyes.
"W-Why?"
That was all that would pass her lips. She wanted to ask so many questions, like why had he saved her, but most of all, she wanted to berate him for not leaving her to die.
"...Because we're the same! When I lost my parents, no one seemed to care. They never cared that I was lonely. The shunned me for powers I never chose to possess. They ignored me because I used that power to protect them from dying when no one else could! They never had time for me! My grades dropped and I became the class clown. I couldn't gain attention from excellence, so I did stupid things. It was hard, wasn't it, Narumi?" A tear fell on her face "You feel lonely and it hurts inside, right?" More of his tears fell on her disbelieving face. "If I had been more responsible, if I'd paid more attention, you wouldn't have suffered so much. I'm sorry."
A cold laugh broke through the tension. "Don't make me laugh! Iruka always hated you! He just wants the scroll!"
Iruka's head jerked to the side, causing him to lock eyes with Mizuki. The traitor continued to smirk as if he'd won a million ryo. Iruka was busy shooting a watery death glare at him, so he didn't notice that Narumi was staring at the now exposed locket hanging around his neck. She clutched at the choker around her throat, subtly fingering the locket hidden by the thick black weaving.
ليس هناك ما هو صحيح...
Startled, Narumi scrambled away from Iruka and took off into the forest, ignoring the screams of her sensei to stop. Iruka's heart stung a bit as he watched her run. Shaking it off, he slowly rose to a crouch and faced Mizuki fully.
"Hmph. Did you see those eyes, Iruka? Those are the eyes of a beast. She's going to use the scroll to take revenge on the village. After all, once a demon's mind is made up, there's no changing it, right?" Mizuki pondered in a casual tone. Iruka pulled the giant shuriken from his back with a hard tug.
"No. Narumi... isn't like that!" He twirled the weapon in his hand and threw it hard at Mizuki, who dodged fluidly. Mizuki smiled coldly.
"Once I rid the village of the demon and get the scroll, I'll be back for you." And he sprinted off after Narumi.
Iruka rose to his feet, his back throbbing.
"Ah... I won't let you...'
~With Sarutobi~
Sarutobi was looking into a crystal ball, following Narumi's every move. He wasn't very happy.
"This isn't good. Mizuki has a big mouth. He's made her feel worse than ever, and at this rate, the fox might escape! I hope Iruka knows what he's doing. For all our sakes."
~Back in the forest~
In the trees, Iruka can be seen hopping from branch to branch, pursuing Narumi.
'Ah-ha!'
Coming up next to her as they traveled through the trees, Yelling out to her.
"Narumi! Everything Mizuki said was a lie! Give me the scroll, quickly! He's coming after you to take it!"
Narumi just looked at him from the corner of her eye. Sensing something off about him, on their next leap, she kneed him in the gut, sending him crashing to the ground.
Kneeling as he got up, he asked "How did you know...? Narumi? How did you know..."His voice changes as he turns back to normal, "That it was me and not Iruka?"
'Narumi' sinks against a tree, grinning. In a poof of smoke, Iruka sits in her place, a log where the scroll was beside him, and his eyes slowly bleeding into a sharp amber color, his desire to decapitate the traitor growing despite the blood loss. A sudden icy chill makes Mizuki shiver.
"Because I'm Iruka." He says with a victorious little smirk.
Mizuki scowls at him.
"So I see. Why are you protecting that freak? That demon wiped out your family!"
"Say what you like, Mizuki. I'm not letting you get your hands on that scroll, traitor!"
"You're a fool! Don't you see? Narumi is just like me!" Mizuki said with an insane tilt to his voice.
Iruka raised an eyebrow, "How's that?" He asked, not realizing That Narumi was just a few yards away, hiding behind a tree, listening to their every word.
"With that scroll, things that are impossible become possible! How can a demon pass that up?" Mizuki was waving his arms, as if that would get the other man to see his reasoning.
"Hm. You're right..."Iruka agreed.
Narumi, hearing that, felt the tears run down her face, her heart throbbing painfully.
'So Mizuki was right. Iruka-sensei never believed in me. He thinks I'm a demon like all the rest. I'm such a fool!'
"...That is how a demon would think. But that's not who Narumi is. Sure, she screws up sometimes, and people are hard on her. She's clumsy, and her grades are crap. But she works hard, and is an exceptional student. That's why she's no demon. She's Uzumaki Narumi, of Konohagakure no sato."
Mizuki's face upon hearing that was a cross between 'is he stupid?' and 'who the fuck cares'. He shook his head.
"Iruka. I was just going to save you for later, but I changed my mind." He pulled the second giant shuriken from his back and spun it on his fingers.
"YOU'RE DONE!"
He raced toward Iruka who just closed his eyes laughing in his head at the mere thought of dying at the hands of a Chunin. So much for the hokage's elite spy... His eyes snapped open when Narumi came out and, with a great bit of oomph, booted Mizuki in the face and sent the shuriken flying off into the trees. Upon impact with the traitor, she flipped backwards and landed in front of Iruka. Peeling himself off of the tree he was kicked into,not unlike a cartoon character, he stared at her for a second before laughing.
"You almost scared me there, freak."
"If you ever touch Iruka-sensei again, I'll fucking kill you!" She spat, her voice like ice. Her eyes flashing a dark violet blue for the briefest second going unnoticed by the moron in front of her.
"Just try it, you little demon-whore! I can end you with a single move!"Mizuki held up a fist mockingly.
Narumi made a single cross seal.
"Go ahead and try it, fool! I'll return it to you a thousand fold!"
"Then Show me what you can do, Kyuubi!" Mizuki goaded her.
"Taiju Kagebunshin no jutsu!"She cried out.
Both Mizuki and Iruka's eyes widened as a thousand clones appeared in a humongous puff of smoke. Each one stood in different positions. Some had their hands on their hips, some had their arms behind their heads, grinning, and some were cracking their knuckles getting ready to beat the tar out of the traitorous bastard.
Iruka sat, bewildered at the sight.'Kagebunshin? I should have known. You've grown so much in such a short time. I'm proud of you, Naru.'
"Oi, teme! I thought you could end things in one move! Here I am, come and get me!" A thousand voices mocked at the same time from everywhere at once. Mizuki jumped six feet in the air, looking around and panicking. He fell back on his ass, shivering in fear as the many Narumi's grinned evilly.
"This is... N-no! Stay back! Don't come near me you de-AAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
BOOM
BASH
STOMP
SPLAT
SQUISH
BONG
BOINK
A bit later, Mizuki is on the forest floor, his face looking like Tora sunk her claws into it, and his crotch looking a bit...flat. Narumi rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, a grin sprouting on her face.
"Heh heh, sorry. I kinda got carried away. You okay, Iruka-sensei?"
"I'll be fine. C'mere, though. There's something I want to give you." He beckoned her over with his hand. She went over, curious.
"Shut your eyes for a sec." She did so, and felt something warm settle around her neck. She felt a hand brush through her bangs gently. She leaned into the touch. Something went for the choker around her neck and she frowned. What was he...?
She felt it loosen, and the locket fell free. She heard Iruka gasp, then a faint metallic jingling. She cracked open one eye, and saw the other locket. It's colors were reversed to her own.
فكل شيء مباح...
"Er...Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Narumi opened her eyes, and saw Iruka smiling proudly. She noticed the other locket was gone. Probably back under his shirt.
"Congratulations. You graduate!"
Narumi stared at him, disbelief, and relief both on her face at the same time.
"And to celebrate, I have a surprise! We're going for ramen tonight!"
Narumi tried to say something, but nothing would come out, her face trying to make too many expressions at once.
"Huh?" Iruka looked at her, confused at her silence.
Narumi settled on tackling him, trying to hug him to death.
"Hey, that hurts!"
'Well, I had planned to lecture you about the harder parts of Ninja life, and that this is only the beginning, but we'll talk later. Over ramen.'
A/N: Questions? Leave a review! Anyone who translates the little tidbits and know their video games should be able to figure out where I'm going with this, sort of. Reviews are love!
Edit 6/6/14: This chapter has been edited slightly to fit better with a later one.